Also, in the one 5% plus inflation surge that was in this data set, the CRB index produced a nominal compound return of 1.58% and a real return of minus 3.32%.
What I do know is that for the limited data set I have, the CRB index produced a nominal compound return of 0.77%, a real return of minus 2.16%, a standard deviation that is twice that of Treasuries, had a twelve month period with a loss of 48.74% and had a 27 year period with a negative compound return.
The sharp rally to consecutive all-time nominal highs for gold prices on the back of concerns over problems in the European Union banks and dismal economic data this week in the U.S. has participants in the weekly Kitco News Gold Survey generally looking for higher prices.